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Free Things to Do in Los Angeles Worth the Trip
10
items Los Angeles has a reputation for being expensive but the truth is some of the best things to do here cost nothing to get into. This is my personal list of free admission spots in LA that I have actually been to and think are genuinely worth the trip....
Sections
3
Museums
Outdoors
Bookish Stuff
Museums
Los Angeles is home to some of the best free museums in the country and these are the ones worth making the trip for. From the Getty Center's European art and sweeping city views to ancient Greek and Roman artifacts at the Getty Villa in Malibu, worl...
The Getty Center, Los Angeles Free admission, but you'll want to plan ahead,parking is $25 unless you arrive by Metro (the 761 bus stops right at the tram). Once you're up there, the views of LA alone are worth the trip. The architecture, the gardens...
The J. Paul Getty Museum Collection
The Getty Villa,Pacific Palisades / Malibu Ancient Greece and Rome on the Pacific Coast Highway. The Getty Villa is a full-scale recreation of a Roman country house filled with thousands of years of sculptures, jewelry, mummies, and artifacts, and ad... most people end up staying longer than expected.
Visit the Getty Villa | Getty
California Science Center, Exposition Park Free admission, and right now this is one of the most exciting museums in the country. The existing exhibits on life science, innovation, and flight are already worth the trip,but come November 13, 2026, the...
California Science Center
Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park Free admission, and honestly one of the best things in all of Los Angeles. The building has been free since 1935 by mandate, so every person in the city could access a telescope. Ninety years later that still holds...
Griffith Observatory - Southern California’s gateway to the cosmos!
Outdoors
Los Angeles has some of the best free outdoor spaces in California and most people only scratch the surface. This section covers the spots I keep coming back to, from two of the best hikes in the Hollywood Hills and Culver City with views that stop y...
Venice Canals, Venice Los Angeles Most people go to Venice Beach and have no idea there is a completely quiet, charming canal neighborhood sitting just a few blocks away. Built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney as his vision of a Venice, Italy in Southern California, the ...
Venice Canals Association
Great timing since it's happening right now. Here's the blurb: KCRW Summer Nights — Various Locations, June through September Every summer KCRW, LA's beloved indie radio station, throws a series of free outdoor dance parties at some of the best cultu...kcrw.com/summer-nights and you can also sign up for their Summer Nights Field Guide newsletter to get announcements first. No tickets needed for most events, just show up. Parking depends on the venue but rideshare is usually the smartest call for a late night out.
KCRW's Summer Nights
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Culver City Free to enter and one of the best views in all of Los Angeles with almost none of the crowds you find at Griffith Observatory. On a clear day from the top you can see downtown LA, the Hollywood Sign, the Gri...
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook - California State Parks - CA.gov
Fryman Canyon, Studio City The local answer to Runyon Canyon but without the Hollywood scene and the crowds. Fryman Canyon is a 3 mile loop through Wilacre Park in the Hollywood Hills that feels genuinely removed from the city even though you are abo...
Fryman Canyon Park |
Bookish Stuff
Los Angeles is not a city people usually associate with books but these two Downtown LA landmarks will change that. The Los Angeles Central Library is a stunning 1926 building that is so architecturally beautiful people visit just to stand in the rot...
The Last Bookstore, Downtown LA California's largest used and new bookstore, housed inside a former bank with marble columns and book vaults, and it is completely free to walk in and explore. The ground floor alone is worth the trip but the real magi...
The Last Bookstore: Home
Los Angeles Central Library, Downtown Free to enter, and most people have no idea how stunning this building actually is. The 1926 Goodhue building is one of the most architecturally striking in all of Downtown LA, with Egyptian and Mediterranean Rev...
Central Library | Los Angeles Public Library